I should add that I'm not necessarily opposed to the death penalty - I'm opposed to hypocrisy. If we as a society are going to indulge our thirst for vengeance, then we shouldn't half-ass it with these humane measures.

djkutch:The death penalty is stupid. How about one appeal and then life in solitary confinement. Seems like a deterrent to me and saves tax money.

Might need to release all those dangerous pot smokers to make this possible financially.

How about no? One of the guys waiting for the drug here is on death row for raping an 11 month old. He does NOT deserve to live out his natural life while I and more importantly the family members of his victim pay for his free room, board and medical care. If you are THAT broken, goodbye.

The only way the death penalty works as a deterrent is if it is swift and immediate. Therefore, we'd need tribunals for all death-penalty-qualifiable crimes to met justice in weeks/months latest.

Since we're not that kind of country, the fifteen to thirty years on death row do little to nothing to stop crime. It turns from a punishment to a retaliation.

So many -- I mean so many -- random crimes especially the random violence like killing innocent store clerks and such, make me wish death on that person immediately finding guilt. But the US just isn't particularly set up to effectively hand out justice through death that effectively. Just lock 'em up for life. Lord knows there's enough of a prison private industry already to want to handle that.

cmb53208:I'm not necessarily opposed to the death penalty, but could Texas prosecutors actually go the extra mile and make sure the people they convict are actually guilty?It seems that Texass has a slight problem with putting innocent people on death row.

They can't waste time with real trials and evidence gathering...There are more important things at stake:

I'm not necessarily opposed to the death penalty, but could Texas prosecutors actually go the extra mile and make sure the people they convict are actually guilty?It seems that Texass has a slight problem with putting innocent people on death row.

Barry Lyndon's Annuity Cheque:fusillade762: Still don't understand why they don't just use helium. As a bonus it would make those last words so much funnier.

Yeah, I find the death penalty abhorrent, but all you really need for the perfect execution (or suicide) is a bag, some tape, and a party canister of helium. No muss, no fuss.

But that wouldn't be as much fun humane as giving them a first drug to paralyze them, a second drug to... uh..., and a third drug that causes excruciating pain! Because really, it's not about a bloodlust for vengeance, it's about a humane act of incapacitation.

/we'll figure out what the second drug is supposed to do, as soon as we get done giggling sadly and humanely watching over this twitching guy

HOUSTON (AP) - Texas has obtained a new batch of the drugs it uses to execute death row inmates, allowing the state to continue carrying out death sentences once its existing supply expires at the end of the month.But correction officials will not say where they bought the drugs, arguing that information must be kept secret to protect the safety of its new supplier.